Monday, August 16, 2010
So It Shall Be
Took the pups to the vet today. Wanted to know what they were, how old they were, how big they would get, were they healthy, etc.
They are Lab mix, the tiniest bit of Chow but not much and something else, who knows. They are about 3 months old. The girl dog weighs 13.3 pounds. The boy dog weighs 18. something pounds. The vet said to expect them to get double that but don’t expect much more. That means that girl dog will be under 30 pounds and boy dog will be around 40 or so. That means, small dogs. They will not be the big dogs I thought they were going to be.
So. I’m keeping them. I can manage smaller dogs. In fact, these two dogs combined will equal the one dog I used to have as far as size and weight.
I expect this to be a serious challenge, raising two puppies at the same time as I remember it was a lot of work with just one puppy, so many years ago. But I’ve learned a lot because of my other dog, Pandora. I’ve learned where I went wrong and I learned where I went right. I also have a better idea what to expect in the future that I was very unaware of back then. I know they will go through what I call the “teenage gangly year” where they aren’t so cute anymore, get a serious attitude, test and test and test again until I think I want to murder them, (of course I wouldn’t and I didn’t with Pandora either so don’t even start to get upset), but this time, because I know it’s coming, I’ll know better how to handle it.
I’ve had them for one week and I’ve already been training them although not too seriously because I didn’t know if I was keeping them. I thought I’d teach them a little bit in preparation for their new homes but now I can get serious.
So after the vet, we went to PetSmart and got more supplies. The first time I went I only got the bare minimum; I got collars, leashes, puppy food and a toy or two. This time, I went all out knowing what I’ll need for raising and training these puppies to be great dogs.
I’m exhausted like you wouldn’t believe. But I also know, and I do know this because it happened before, that despite how tired I am now, it will. be. worth. it. in the end. I know that I have to go through this non stop training, the getting up every two hours to take them outside during their housebreaking training, the lack of sleep to correct them when they try to get away with something....I’m about to fall over I’m so tired.
But it will be worth it just like it was worth it with Pandora. I will get sleep again. They will be good dogs and it will prove to some who think they know better than me that I do know how to communicate with dogs so that they follow their leader, me, and not the other way around.
I tell co-workers and neighbors that they are in training. No, I am not scared that your dogs will hurt these puppies, that is not why I’m holding their leash tight and keeping the pups close to me. It’s because they are in training and just because your dogs passed by at that precise moment does not mean it’s play time for these pups.
For example, I’m currently training them that when we go outside, the first thing they need to do is fricken go to the bathroom. Do that and THEN you can sniff around and chase bugs and run like a lunatic. But not until you fricken pee, damnit because at midnight, when I have to get up AGAIN, I don’t want to spend a half an hour while the puppies are fucking around. Midnight, 2am, 4am, etc is “do your business time” not “frolic around the neighborhood” time. That time comes later in the day.
I’ve also had people suggest they know what I mean when I say I teach my dog who the leader is. “Oh yah, I showed my dog who the boss was, too”, they say as they mime a punch to an invisible dog face. “But that doesn’t always work.”
Well, fuckface, the reason your way doesn’t work is because your dog didn’t respect you as pack leader, it was fucking scared of you. Of course it’s not going to do what you want when it fears you, moron.
Anyway, everyone has something to say and assvice to give and treat me like I don’t know what I’m doing but I had a very well behaved dog before and it was all my hard work. It was not the work of a trainer, it was MY hard work. And it will be MY hard work AGAIN that will turn these pups in to the best behaved dogs, best trained dogs, most obedient dogs and dogs who can do the dumbest tricks that they’ll have ever seen.
And then they can all suck it.
So, yep, I now have two dogs. Their names are Shasta, (the boy), and Sakari, (the girl). I named Shasta after Mt. Shasta in California because it’s one of my most favorite places on earth. I gave Sakari her name because she is very affectionate and sweet and Sakari means “sweet” in Eskimo.
They’re still learning their names. They just got them, give them time.
Ok, right now the pups are passed out so maybe I can actually get a bit of sleep right now, too. God knows I need it.
Oh, just wanted to add real quick, for those of you with pets...I had forgotten about this since it’s been so long since I had a dog. If you have pets, cats, dogs, anything with fur that gets everywhere, don’t even bother with those stupid rolls of “pet tape” that lifts hair off the furniture and clothes...or at least, some of the hair...and you have to always get more and they really just don’t work that well and are a pain in the ass.
No, what you get are those rubber brushes for dogs. You’ll find them in the grooming section of your local pet store. They are rubber and you can use them to brush your dog but they work the absolute best of anything out there, for getting pet hair off your furniture, carpet, whatever. I was getting the pups a brush today and saw one of those and thought, >forehead smack< “How on earth did I forget about these things?!” I grabbed one and when I got home, I collected so much pet hair that those waste of money “tape” or velcro products do not get, that the vacuum cleaner doesn’t get and what a difference in the place.
I’m telling you kids, risk the $7 for one, take it home and try it. See what I mean. When you start seeing all the pet hair come up so easily, you may thank me by cleaning your house.
Ok....sleep. I need sleep.
